The present invention relates to a multi-light emitter optical fiber device and more particularly to a device which includes a plurality of semiconductor electroluminescent elements directed into a single optical fiber.
Optical communication systems include an optical fiber having a light source at one end and a light detector at its other end. The device which has come into use as the light source is a semiconductor electroluminescent device, such as a light emitting diode or laser diode. These devices have the advantages of being very small in size and requiring relatively small amounts of power while providing the desired light output. The light emitting semiconductor element is generally mounted in a housing with a length of optical fiber extending from the light emitting surface of the element. The optical fiber extends from the housing so that it can be coupled to the optical fiber which is to carry the light to the light detector.
It is often desirable to have more than one source of light directed into a single optical fiber. One purpose for having more than one light source is for redundancy, so that if one light source becomes inoperative, a second source is still available. Another purpose would be to provide a plurality of separate light signals, either of different frequencies or wavelengths, along a single optical fiber.
The above purposes can be accomplished by connecting the optical fibers extending from a plurality of semiconductor electroluminescent devices to a single optical fiber. However, this method requires a relatively complex coupling for connecting together the various optical fibers.